Depressed neutrophil motility in patients with recurrent herpes simplex virus infections: in vitro restoration with levamisole.

The random migration and chemotaxis of neutrophils from 10 patients with recurrent infections with herpes simplex virus were assessed. Chemotaxis to endotoxin-activated serum was markedly diminished in this group, but random migration was only mildly reduced, and chemotaxis to hydrolyzed casein was normal. The effects of the immunostimulant drug levamisole on the chemotaxis of neutrophils were assessed both in vitro and in patients after 150 mg of the drug was taken daily for three days. The defective chemotactic response could be corrected in vitro by treatment of the neutrophils with 10(-3) M levamisole. Of 10 patients treated with levamisole, five showed improved chemotaxis after three days, but no improvement in neutrophil function was observed in the other patients.